


Anniversary Surprises

by KeeperofSeeds



Series: Femslashficlets - language of the flowers challenge [5]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Anniversary, Established Relationship, F/F, Femslash, Ficlet, Language of Flowers, Mild Sexual Content, Not Beta Read, Post-Canon, Post-Mass Effect 3, Recovery, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-20 23:44:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16565405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeeperofSeeds/pseuds/KeeperofSeeds
Summary: 5) chrysanthemum can symbolize:rest and recovery after a long challenge, cheerfulness. (deep red ones can symbolize passion)





	Anniversary Surprises

**Author's Note:**

> 5) chrysanthemum can symbolize:  
> rest and recovery after a long challenge, cheerfulness. (deep red ones can symbolize passion)

 Sam is slouched on the couch in the prefab debating if it was worth the effort to get up and nap in bed, or just stay curled on the couch for the next hour or so. Working to improve and repair Earth’s communication networks was rewarding and important work, but it was exhausting. 

 

She’s just on the edge of falling asleep when she hears the slide of the front door. It must be later than she thought. Shepard’s shift wasn’t supposed to be over until after super. 

She's working up the effort to sit up and greet Shepard properly when she hears the hollow sound of boots coming around the corner. She rolls over and opens her eyes to find Shepard already in the room, shrugging off her dusty jacket into a heap on the floor. Her cheeks are flushed and her smile is wide enough that is brightens the whole room. 

"Hey," Sam says, voice still slow and drowsy. "I didn't expect you until after super." 

"I took off early today. Had something I needed to do." 

"Oh. This wouldn't be something related to the surprising you were hinting at last month would it?"

Shepard merely grinned wider and took a knee next to the couch to whisper in Sam's ear, "You'll just have to wait and see."

Sam turned to face her and bring their lips together, suddenly finding a good reason to become more alert.  

She tries to pull Shepard up and on to the couch with her, not wanting to strain her knees, but Shepard resists all attempts and instead starts mouthing a line down Sam's neck, cold hands moving under her back to position her closer to the edge of the couch. 

Sam tries one more time to pull Shepard up, or at least get her shirt off, but Shepard pauses her kisses and catches her hands.

"Let me take of you tonight," she breathes into Sam's stomach, leaving one more kiss behind. And Sam nods. She's been working on Shepard's self confidence after everything.  Being comfortable again with sex and nudity after all the surgeries here on Earth after they found her. But she does love it when Shepard takes charge like this. So she nods again, and falls back, arching her back to let Shepard pull at her pants. She promises herself she'll ask about it in the morning. For now she lies back and looses herself in the feel of Shepard's tongue.

* * *

Shepard is leaning on the counter, staring at the machine boiling water for her caf as if glaring will make it work faster. It's a gamble starting the discussion before she's had her caf, but Sam hopes catching her now will make her more likely to admit things she'd normally keep behind shields.

"Shepard..." she starts, "about last night."

Shepard hums in acknowledgment and she grabs the newly filled cup and breathes in.

"I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something I should be avoiding touching. You know I don't mind the scars. Or, was it your shoulder acting up again? I don't want make you uncomfortable, but I just wanted to talk, and clear some things up or-"

Shepard grabs one of Sam's waving hands. Hers is warm from the fresh mug of caf. 

"Sam. Breathe." she says. "I understand what you're getting at. That wasn't it." Shepard looks away for a moment before continuing more slowly. "I was going to wait to show you, but I guess now is as good of a time as any."  

She stands and begins pulling off her worn sleep shirt, revealing the red lines of surgical scars mixed in with the pale burn scars wrapping around her right arm and side. It’s a familiar enough sight.

Shephard drops her shirt and admits, “I didn’t mean to make you worry, but I’ve been planning this for weeks and didn’t want to spoil the surprise.”

Slowly, she turns, revealing more scars. But to the side of the black spectre symbol on Shepard’s back, now rests a bright red flower. It blooms across her right shoulder, green petals cushioning it and drawing the eye from the scars to this beacon of color. 

Shephard looks over her shoulder and grins at her shocked silence. “Happy anniversary, Sam.”

“Oh.” Sam says. “This is-, it’s so lovely! I can’t believe you would do this!” Her fingers reach out and trace the lines, follow along the red petals as if tracing an actual flower.

“I thought this would be a great way to mark both our anniversary _and_ the progress we’re making here.” Shepard admits. 

“It is _wonderful_!” Sam gushes, turning Shepard around to plant a quick kiss on her lips. Then she pulls back and smacks a hand playfully against Shepard’s shoulder. 

“It _is_ wonderful, but how in the world am I ever supposed to match this kind of thing?!” 

She pauses to think,dramatizing the process. “I know!” She declares, fighting not to be drawn in by Shepard’s own growing grin. “Maybe I’ll make James get one in my place!”

Shephard snickers, joining in imagining. “Just think, you’d have to invite him over every year and let me unwrap him.”

Sam pulls her closer. “On second thought then, maybe not. He’d enjoy that too much. I guess I’ll have to find other ways to celebrate our anniversary.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic means the completion of this challenge for me! It was nice to end on this pairing as I'd originally planned to spend NaNo doing a ME3 fic with them falling in love, but plans fell through for that so it's still nice to get to end on this ficlet.


End file.
